Direct fired steam mangle



P 27, T. J. SULLIVAN 2,131,336

DIRECT FIRED STEAM MANGLE Filed Aug. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l m- 7,1933. T. J, SULLIVAN 2,131,336

DIRECT FIRED STEAM MANGLE Filed Aug. 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet? A Z; 20 wPatented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRECT FIRED STEAMMANGLE.

Application August 4,

10 Claims.

This invention relates to ironing machines of the cylinder and roll typewherein the ironing surface of the cylinder is heated by steam withinthe same.

Many attempts have previously been made, particularly in territoriesserved by natural gas, to eliminate expensive coal fired steamgenerating equipment by firing the driers and other laundry equipmentdirectly with gas. It was thus exepected to effect substantial savingsin the operation of a laundry. However, experi ence has shown that theprimary obstacle to the success of such plans for using direct fired asdistinguished from indirectly heated equipment has been theunsatisfactory results from the operation of the mangles with direct gasfiring. Whereas with the use of steam, temperature control and uniformheating of the entire surface of the ironing cylinder have presented noproblem, with previous methods of direct gas firing these factorspresent serious difficulties. This is due to the fact that with oldmethods of direct gas firing, one part of the ironing cylinder tends tooverheat while another portion may be too cool to work efficiently.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a direct firedmangle with all of the inherent temperature control and other desirablefeatures of an indirectly heated steam mangle.

Another object is to provide means for generating steam in the ironingcylinder itself for heating the mangle.

A further object is to provide a direct gas fired steam mangle in whichthe products of combustion from the gas burner are utilized in thegeneration of steam in the ironing cylinder.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from aconsideration of the following detailed description with reference tothe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end View with some of the parts broken away Fig. 4 is afragmentary sectional view of a portion of the apparatus, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a slightmodification.

In the drawings, the conventional parts of the mangle have not beenshown in detail and in some instances have been omitted entirely for thesake of clearness. The mangle illustrated is composed of a rotatablecylinder 10 closed at its ends by inset heads II, the surface of saidcylin- 1936, Serial No. 94,267

der extending beyond the heads as a projecting annular flange [2 at eachend thereof.

The cylinder If] is mounted on trunnions l3 and I4 formed with orsecured to the heads II and suitably journalled in frame members l5 andi6 and is driven by a motor I I through a pinion l8 mounted on theprojecting end of the trunnion I4. The usual ironing rollers [9, asshown in Fig. 2, are provided in cooperative relation to the uppersurface of the cylinder 10.

Each of the heads I I in the embodiment illustrated carries an annularflange or ring 20 spaced from and concentric with the flanges l2 andstationary cover plates 2| and 22 are mounted in cooperative relation tothe edges of said concentric flanges to provide closed. annular spaces23 and 24 constituting manifold chambers at opposite ends of thecylinder. The plates 2| and 22 may have simple sliding contact with theflanges as shown in Fig. 4 or the parts may be furnished withinterfitting grooves and ribs to provide labyrinth seals 25 between theparts as shown in Fig. 5.

A plurality of flue tubes. 26 extend longitudinally through the cylinderl0 and are carried between the heads ll. These tubes may be arrangedaround the axis of the cylinder, somewhat closer, as shown, to the innersurface of the cylinder than to the axis of the latter.

The cover plates 2| and 22 are provided with openings 21 and 28,respectively, in the lower portions thereof, these openings beingarranged opposite a point in the path of rotation of the tubes 26 andpreferably of such size and shape that the ends of three tubes will beopposite the openings at the same time.

A burner casing 29, to which the plate 2| may be Welded or otherwisesecured, is mounted over the opening 21 and a suitable .gas burner 30 inthe casing supplies the necessary heat, the products of combustionpassing into and on through the tubes 26 as they arrive opposite theopening 21 during rotation of the cylinder.

After passing through the tubes 26 the burner gases are vented from thespace 24 through a suitable flue pipe 3| to which the plate 22 may bewelded or otherwise secured, one end of the flue pipe being mounted overthe opening 28 in the end plate 22. A forced draft is induced in theflue pipe 3| by arranging the discharge pipe 32 of a motor driven blower33 so that it exhausts into the fine pipe adjacent the throat of aVenturi section 34.

To direct the products of combustion from the burner into the tubes 26as they come into their lowermost position opposite the burner, radialbafile plates 35 are mounted on the cover plate 2| on either side of theopening 2? within the space 23.

The trunnion 13, as shown in Fig. 4, is made hollow to permit thepassage of a steam pipe 35 which extends through a stufiing box 31 andopens into the interior of the cylinder It. The steam pipe 36 isconnected to a pressure-responsive means 38 preferably of the diaphragmtype acting on a suitable control valve 39 which in turn regulates theamount of fuel supplied to the burner 30 in known manner. A safety valvell! is mounted on the stuffing box sleeve Gila and a pressure gauge 4|is connected to the steam pipe 36, conveniently at the regulatorcoupling.

For the purpose of observing the amount of water in the cylinder It], aplurality of bulls eyes 42 are mounted in one of the heads ll, the samebeing visible through the central opening in the cover plate 2i. Fusiblesafety plugs Q3, Fig. 3, are also provided in the head I l within thearea defined by the flanges l2 and 29. These plugs will blow out in caseof overheating of the mangle thus extinguishing the flame of the burner.

In operation, the cylinder if! is partially filled with a vaporizableheat-transfer medium such as water and is sealed. The burner 39 is thenstarted, the products of combustion being projectedinto and through thetubes 28 in succession as they come opposite the opening 2? duringrotation of the cylinder. The spent gases after passing through thetubes 26 enter the space F 24 and are drawn off through the fiue pipe3!.

Steam is thus generated in the cylinder H3. The supply of fuel to theburner SE is regulated by the control valve 39 in-accordance with thepressure of the steam generated within the cylinder.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that various modifications in detailsof construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. A mangle comprising a rotatable ironing cylinder closed at its endsand adapted to contain a heat-transfer medium, a plurality of flue tubesextending through said cylinder, and a fuel burner mounted adjacent oneend of said cylind'er and so arranged as to communicate successivelywith said flue tubes at the ends thereof during rotation of saidcylinder.

2. A'mangle comprising a rotatable ironing cylinder closed at its endsand adapted to contain a heat-transfer medium, a plurality of flue tubesextending through said cylinder and arranged around the axis thereof, afuel burner mounted adjacent one end of said cylinder and so arranged asto communicate successively with said flue tubes at the ends thereofduring rotation of said cylinder, and means for directing the flame ofthe burner and products of combustion into said flue tubes.

3; A mangle comprising a closed cylindrical chamber providing an ironingsurface and adapted'to contain a heat-transfer medium, a plurality offiue tubes carried by said cylinder in contact with the heat-transfermedium therein and openingoutside of the cylinder at its ends, means providing a manifold chamber into which said tubes open at one end of saidcylinder, and a fuel burner mounted adjacent the last mentioned end ofsaid cylinder and so arranged as to discharge its products of combustioninto said manifold and into said tubes successively as the cylinder isrotated.

4. A mangle comprising a closed cylindrical chamber providing an ironingsurface and adapted to contain a vaporizable heat-transfer medium, aplurality of flue tubes carried by said cylinder in contact with theheat-transfer medium therein and opening outside of the cylinder at itsends, a fuel burner mounted adjacent an end of said cylinder anddischarging into said tubes successively as the cylinder is rotated, andmeans responsive to the pressure in said cylinder for controlling thefuel supply to said burner.

5. A mangle comprising a rotatable cylinder closed at its ends andadapted to contain a heattransfer medium, a plurality of flue tubesextending through said cylinder and arranged around the axis thereof tocontact during rotation with the heat-transfer medium therein, means forsupplying heat to said flue tubes as the cylinder rotates, and means forcontrolling the heat supplied in accordance with the temperature withinsaid cylinder.

6. A mangle comprising a rotatable ironing cylinder, inset headsadjacent each end of said cylinder forming a closed chamber therein,means comprising end plate members forming a closed space at each end ofsaid cylinder beyond said heads, flue tubes extending through saidcylinder and opening at their ends into said spaces, a fuel burnerarranged to direct its flame and the products of combustion into one ofsaid spaces and into said flue tubes, and means for venting the other ofsaid spaces.

'7. A mangle comprising a rotatable ironing cylinder, inset headsadjacent each end thereof forming a closed chamber, means comprisingstaticnary end plates forming a closed space at each end of saidcylinder beyond said heads, a plurality of fiue tubes extending throughsaid cylinder and arranged around the axis thereof and opening at theirends into said spaces, one of said plates having an opening thereinopposite a point in the path of said tubes when said cylinder isrotated, a fuel burner in said opening and means for venting the spaceat the other end of said cylinder.

8. A mangle comprising a frame, a rotatable ironing cylinder journalledin said frame, inset heads adjacent each end of the cylinder closing thesame, stationary end plates in proximity to the ends of said cylinderforming a closed space between said heads and said plates at each end ofthe cylinder, a plurality of flue tubes extending through said cylinderand arranged around the axis thereof and opening at the ends thereofinto said spaces, a burner casing carried by one of said end plates andopening into the space at one end of said cylinder, and vent meanscarried by the other of said plates in communication with the space atthat end of said cylinder.

9. A mangle comprising a rotatable ironing cylinder having heads at eachend for closing the same, stationary end plates in axial alinement withsaid cylinder heads and forming closed spaces between said plates andsaid heads at the respective ends of the cylinder, an annular sealingmember between one of said cylinder heads and one of said stationaryplates, flue tubes ex tending through said cylinder and opening at theends thereof into said spaces, a burner casing opposite one of said endplates and opening into the space at one end of said cylinder, and ventmeans opposite the other of said plates in communication with the spaceat that end of the cylinder.

10. A mangle comprising a rotatable ironing cylinder having end closuresforming a closed steam chamber, means providing a manifold chamber atone end of said cylinder, open ended flue tubes extending through saidcylinder and arranged to communicate successively at one end thereofwith said manifold chamber during rotation of said cylinder, a fuelburner arranged to discharge into said manifold chamber, and means forventing the other ends of said tubes.

TIMOTHY J. SULLIVAN.

